Device for operating valves and other mechanisms



(No Model.)

- L. SOHUTTE.

DEVICE FOR OPERATING VALVES AND OTHER. MECHANISM. N0. 380,941.

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LOUIS SOI-IUTTE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DEVECE FOR OPERATHNG VALVES AND OTHER MECHANESMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 380,941, dated April10, 1888.

Application filed June 11, 1887. Serial No. 241,038. (No model.)

To whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, LoUIs SOBUTTE,OfPhiladelphia, in the county ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Devices for Operating Valves and other Mechanisms, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The object of the presentinvention is to convert prolonged or continuingreciprocations into sudden or instantaneous reciprocations, &c.

My invention is applicable in many places which will suggest themselvesto the skilled mechanic, but is specially advantageous as a means ofeffecting a sudden opening and closing of valves which are controlled byfloats having a gradual rising and falling motion,and I have thereforeillustrated the same in such connection.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of anordinary injector or jet apparatus with my device applied thereto. Fig.2 represents a vertical axial section through the valve-spindle and theparts immediately connected therewith. Fig. 8 is an end elevation ofsaid parts. Fig. 4. is a section showing the valve-operating devices ina reverse position.

Referring to the drawings, A represents th controlling valve-spindle ofan ordinary injector, which opens and closes the passage B,

by a longitudinal movement. This spindle is extended througha gland orstuflingbox to the exterior of the apparatus and connected by horizontalpivots a to the two arms of a U- shaped lever, B, which vibrates arounda horizontal pivot, b, located at. its lower end and sustained instationary cheek-plates G,secured to or formed on the body of theinjector. The swinging motion of this lever has the effect of opening orclosing the valve.

D representsa second forked lever, mounted at its lower end on thehorizontal pivot c, which is also sustained in the stationarycheek-plates (3, before referred to.

E represents a strong spiral spring,which is seated at its lower end ina socket, d, pivoted to the top of the lever B,and seated at its upperend in a socket, e, pivoted to the top of the lever D.

As the lever D is turned upon its pivot 0, it carries the upper end ofthe spring E forward and backward, so that the spring will tend to pushthe lever B in one direction or the other,

according to the position of the lever D. From U B outward, as indicatedby the arrow in Fig.

2, thereby opening the valve. When, on the contrary,the fluid levelfalls, the float descends, and the lever D, tipping forward, places thespring in the position shown in Fig. 4., so that it acts to return thelever B to its original position and close the valve. The springreverses its action upon the lever B as its upper end is carried to oneside or the other of a vertical line falling through the pivot b. \Vhenthe spring is carried to one side or the other of this line, it acts tomove the valve very suddenly, and thus it is that the gradual orcontinued motion of the float is caused to effect an instantaneousopening or closing of the valve at the proper time.

By giving the end of the valve-spindle or valve proper a sectional areaconsiderably greater than that of the spindle proper, the sudden openingand closing motion is rendered the more certain, since the pressure ofthe fluid being controlled will tendto urge the valve in one directionor the other as the relative pressures on its front and rear sides arevaried by the opening and closing action.

While I prefer to make use of the spiral spring, it is to be understoodthat any equivalent form of compression-spring may be employed.

In the use of steam'injectors, particularly for boiler-feeding purposes,it is of importance that the actuating jet of steam shall bestopped andstarted instantly and to its full extent. This is desirable in order toprevent reverse currents through the apparatus and to enable thesteam-jet to initiate the currents in the required direction against thecounter-pressure of the boiler. Heretofore, so far as lam aware, no onehas combined with a steam-injector automatic devices for effecting thisinstantane one opening and closing of the steam-controlling valve, andit is in this combination that my device for converting motion is ofspecial importance. As regards the particular mechanism which I haveselected for representation in the drawings, it will be observed that itconsists of two independentlypivoted levers, one of which is connectedto and arranged to directly operate the valve'spindle, while the otherserves'solely to change the inclination or angle of thespindle-operating spring.

I am aware that various contrivances containing springs and weights havebeen devised for imparting from a slowly-moving part a sudden movementto a valve; but I believe myself to be the first to devise theparticular combination herein shown for that purpose and broadly thefirst to combine with the steam-controlling valve of an injectorautomatic devices for suddenly changing its position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In combinationwith thesteam-admission valve of a steam-injector, a float, a leverconnected with and operated by said float, and a spring located betweenthe lever and valve, said spring acting at one end on the valve to movethe same and movable at the opposite end with the lever, substantiallyas described, whereby the slowly-moving float is enabled to effect theopening and closing of the injector with an instantaneous action,therebyavoiding the waste of steam and insuring the proper action of theinjector.

thereto, and the compression-spring seated between and against saidbearings d e.

4. A reciprocating spindle, a-lever pivoted thereto, and acompression-spring bearing at one end on said lever to move the spindleendwise, in combination with a second and independent lever bearing onthe opposite end of the spring and arranged, as described, to.

change the angle or inclination of the spring in respect to thefirst-named lever, whereby the spring and first lever are enabled tomove independently of the second lever and throw the valve suddenlyfirst in one direction and then in the other.

In testimony whereof Ihereunto set my hand, this 16th day of May, 1887,in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

LOUIS SOHUTIE.

Witnesses DANIEL HILDRETH, FRANK SPILLIN.

